Karyological and cytophotometric study of expiant derived clones of non-polysomatic and polysomatic species ofKniphofia

Cytological and cytophotometric analysis of root tips of regenerated plants, derived from rhizome expiant ofKniphofia nelsonii andKniphofia uvaria, revealed marked difference in behaviour of chromosomes and level of 4C nuclear DNA content. Karyotypic stability could be retained in all 52 regenerants of K. nelsonii whereas inK. uvaria out of 75 regenerants analysed, 12 plants were exclusively diploid and the rest 63 plants were predominantly diploid comprising variable amount of aneuploid and tetraploid cells. Cytological data was further confirmed by nuclear DNA content estimation. Alteration in the structure of chromosomes could also be noted in 57 regenerants ofK. uvaria giving rise to two new karyotypes. The use of polysomatic tissue for securing variantsin vitro inK. uvaria has been suggested.